Vulcanization apparatus



Nov. 249 1925.

G J. MEAD VULCANI ZATION 'APPARATUS Filed March 3, 1921 11 Sheets-Sheet l /NVEN TOE @n E M J E a DOM Novm 24, 1925. 1,563,037

G. MEAD VULCANI ZATI 0N 'APPARATUS FlledMal-ch 5, 1921 11 Sheets-Sheet 2 /NVENTOE A v Y. oemyv Nov. (24 1925. 1,563,037

' G.J.MEAD

VULCANIZATIONAPPABATUS Filed March 3, 1921 11 Sheets-Sheet 5 @fj Y W Nov.. 24, 1925. l l 1,563,037

Qa. J. MEAD VULCANI ZATION APPARATUS Filed Maron s, 1921 11 sheets-sheet 4 GEOEGEJ MEAD /NvE/v Tore AT'ORNEY VULGNIZATION'APPARATUS Filed March 5. 1921 1l Sheets-Sneek 5 ATTORNEY Nav. 24, 1925. 1,563,037

G. J. MEAD VULGANIZATION APPARATUS Filed March 5, 1921 11 Sheets-Sheet 6 Fha/6 www REOP/V51 Y Nov. 24 v 1925 4\li,5v63,03`l

G. J. MEAD VULCANIZATION APPARATUS med ual-cn 192i 11 Smets-sheet v GEOPGE J. MEAD /NvEN T02 BY TTENEY G. .9. MEAD VULCANZATI ON APPARATUS Filed March 5, 1921 11 Smets-Sheet 8 GEO/6,51. MEAD N VE N TOR HTTOENEY www 24, m5- 1,563,037

G. .11. MEAD VULCANI ZATION "APPARATUS Filed March 5; 1921 11 Sheets-Sheet 9 Gro/QE J MEAD /N VE' IV TOE Bv w H7 TENEY G. J. MEAD VULCAN ZATI 0N APPARATUS Filed March s, 1921 11 sheets-Sheet 10 GEOEQE J MEFID IAM/EN To@ Nw.. m, W25. msm? G. J. MEAD VULCANI ZATI ON AFPARATUS Filed March 5, 1921 11 Sheets-Sheet ll Patented Nov. 24, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT oFFlcEf GEORGE J'. MEAD, 0F MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN. ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS,

T THE FISK RUBBER COMPANY, OF CHICOPEE FALLS, MASSACHUSETTS, A COR- PQRATION OF MASSACHUSETTS.

VULCANIZATION APPARATUS.

Application filed March 3, 1921. Serial No. 449,526.

To aZZ'w/Lom 'it may conce-rn:

` Be it known that I, GEORGE J. MEAD, a citizen of the United^States,'and a resident of Milwaukee, in the county `of Milwaukee and State of IVisconsin, have invented c ertain new 'and useful Improvements in Vulca11izat=ion Apparatu's, of which the following is a specification. i

My invention relates to vulcanization and. the principal object of my invention is totVy mold,

Figure Sis a plan view of the lnechanism for feeding the molds into` the vulcanizer,

Figure 4 is an end view of this same mech- 5 ani'sm,

.Figure 5 is a detail of a portion of.v this mechanism, s.

Figure 6 1s a plansectlon of the vulcanizer,

30 Figure 7 is a cross-section of the vul.

canizer,

Figure 8 1s a plan view of the mechanism for receiving the molds at the o'ppo.

site end .ofthe heater,

Figure 9 is a plan view" of the apparatus for removing the lnold locking device after vul ianization,

Figure 1() is an elevation of this 'same mechanism showing the mechanism about to 'lil begin operation,

Figure 11 is another elevation of the same mechanism showging the locking device partially removed,

Figure 12 is an elevation of the same mechanism showing the locking device completely removed,

Figure 13 is an elevation showing the unlocked mold" approaching the separating 1 i icchanism, 5" Figure let is a plan view showing the mold as it reaches the separator,

Figure "15 shows the mold rated, 4

partiallyv sepa- Figure 2 represents a section through a mechanism,

Figure 16 shows the mold completely separated Figure 17 is a "plan View of the mechamsm for separating themold and conveying away the parts,

Figure 18 is an elevation of this same mechanism,

Figure 18ais a detail'of a plunger for removing the heels from the mold cavity,

Figure 19 shows the. mechanism in plan vlew,

Figure 20 shows mechanism,

Figure 21 shows the mechanism for placan elevation of this same,

ing new blanks in the cavities in the position in which a cavity has just been filled,

.Figure 22 shows thls same ,mechanism in an intermediate position after the illing of the cavity, i

Figure 23 shows the mechanism in position for. filling anothericavityand discharging a lilled cavity, A

Figure 24 shows the tuber die Figure 25 isa plan view of the assembling Figure 26 is an velevation of this same mechanism, i Figure 27 is an elevation of the clamping mechanism, while Figure 28 is a secondA elevation of this same mechanism showing the -parts in clamped position. v

In Figure 1 I have Ashown a. general plan ofthe illustrative embodiment of my invention which is herein disclosed. In this illustrative embodiment I have shown my invention as applied to the vulcanization of heels. In this embodiment I contemplate the use of a plurality of molds 51 designed 'to pass through ai vulcanizer 52 and upon emerging from the vulcanizer 52 to be carried along the path 53 to a wedge removing 95 device 54. This wedge removing device removes from the mold .the wedges D and E which are carried `onto a conveyor 55 while the remainder of the mold passes along the path 56 to the mold breaking device 57 100 wherein the top plate A is removed from the center and bottom plates B and C and dropped upon a conveyor 58. The bottomplates B and C are then carried by a conplate B is removed from the bottom plate 66 andthe completely formed heel has been pushed out by a plunger. 'lghis empty center plate is then placed in front oi a tuber 67 and receives therefrom a new blank after which itis carried overv and placed in posi' tion upon the bottom plate C and thereafter covered by the top plate A whereupon the three lates are carried by the conveyor 59 into the assembling device 68 after which the Wedges D and E are placed upon the plates and the entire mold is placed in a press 69 and locked in assembled position.

This entire mold is then carried byl a con# veyor 70 back into the vulcanizer 52.

The molds after they are locked into the assembled osition are placed in a trough 71 to be acted) upon by lplunger 72 which a'dvances periodically under the action of a parallel plunger 73. The advancing plunger 72 slides in a bearing 74 in the end of the trough 71 and is also guided by a loosel collar75 carriedby an arm 76 secured to the arallel plunger 73. This parallel plunger 3 is guided in bearings 77 and 78 and is actuated by means of a cam 79 acting upon apin 80 carried by the parallel'plunger 73. The cam 79 is integral Witl a gear 81 which is supported upon a shaft 82 and is driven by a gear 83 carried by one end of the shaft '84 on the other end of which is a beveled gear 85y which meshes with a beveledA gear 86 'carried by the shaft 87 which is in turn driven b a beveled gear 88 integral therewith an meshing with a cooperative bevel ear 89 carried by the main shaft drive 90.

n order to permit plunger 72 to properly ad- Vance the molds even when they are placed in the trough 71 at irregular intervals a loose connection is provided between the parallel plun er 73 and the advancing plunger 72 an this connection-is formed by means of a collar 91 integral with the ad- 'vancing^ plunger 72 against which bears one end of a compression spring 92 the other end of Whloh bears against and is ressed by theI collar '7 5 carried by arm 76 o? the parallel plupger 73. A l' The molds 51 are advanced eriodically the trough 71 and finally t e foremost comes 1nto. position against the end of the trough at 93 whereupon' it is shortly thereafter raised by means of the `plunger y 94 operated by a bell-crank 95 pivoted at 96 and operated by alever 97 which is pivoted at 98 and operated in turn at 99 by thc Elunger 100. This plunger 100 is part of a shaped framework consisting of thc plunger 100, the corresponding plunger 101, and the crossbar 102. The plungers 100 and 101 carry pins 103 and 104: which engage in cam grooves 105 and 106 in the gears 107 and 108 and in this manner perni/it the gears to reciprocate the U shaped frame. The two gears 107 and 108 are both mounted on the shaft 109 and are driven by the two gears 110 and 111 mounted 011 the shaft 112Jv which in turn is driven by. a bevelk gear 113 n1eshing with a cooperative bevel gear 114 on the main drive shaft 90.

When the mold 51 is raised by the plunger 94 it is engaged by the dog 115 and prevented thereby from returning to itsnlowered position. lVhen sufficient molds have been raised by the plunger 94 one of the molds Will reach a position as shown at 116 in front of the plunger 117 and thereupon at the next actuation of this plunger 117 will be carried from the position at 116 to a position at 118 directly in front of the first pass 119 of the vulcanizer 52. This plunger 117 is operated by means of a pin 120 which engages with a cam groove 121 in the gear 122 which is mounted upon a shaft 123 and driven by means of a co-operating gear 124 mounted upon the main drive shaft 90.

The cross-bar 102 of the U shaped frame 10b-101-102 carries three plungers 125, 126, and 127 which are reciprocated with thc cross bar 102. After the mold 52 has been placed in vtheposition 118 the next subsequent advance movementof the plunger 125 will carry it into the pass 119 and it will thereupon connnence its travel through the vulcanizer.F 'J

It will be apparent from the above that the molds are fed in and advanced first by the plunger 7 2, then hy the plunger 91, then by the plunger 117, and linally by the plunger 125, and that these operations are continuousso that a continuous string of lnolds is being fed into the pass 119. On inspection of the driving connections hctween the various parts it also will be apparent that the plungers72 and 117 operate coincidcntly and that the plungcrs 91 and 125 also operate coincidcntly 'and that each pair operates while the other pair is at rest.

Upon reaching the other fend of the vulcanizer 51 the molds from the pass 119 are returned .along the pass 128 and nally pushed out into the space 129 whereupon the succeeding advance movement of the plunger 117 will cause the finger 130 thereof to move the mold from the position 129 into a position opposite the pass'131 whereupon the succeeding advance lnovement of the plunger 126 will .force the mold down the pass 1.31, Similarly the `molds from the pass 131 llO are returned down the pass 132, carried forward by the finger' 133, and then advanced by the plunger 127 down the'last pass 134. i The molds are guided along the various passes by mea-ns of the sides and 136, the top137, the bottom 138, and the intermediate partitions 139. All o-f these guiding members are shaped to correspond with the mold contour and all of them. are hollowed to form steam chambers to provide for the application of heat through the mold during its passage through the vulcanizer tot-hereby heat the raw stock within the molds and thereby vulcanize it.

The shifting of the molds at the second end of the vulcanizer is accomplished by means of a-plunger driven by a pin 141 carried thereby and riding in the cam-groove 142 of a gear 143 which is mounted upon a .shaft 144 and driven by means of a co-perative gear 145 mounted upon the main drive shaft 90. This plunger-140 carries a finger 146 for shifting the molds from the pass `119 to the pass 128 anda finger 147 for Shifting the molds from the pass 131 to the pass 132 and a third linger 148 for shifting the molds from the pass 134 ont into the channel 149.- The'molds are forced along the passes 128 and 132 by means of plungers 15() and 151 carried by acrossbar 152 which is in turn driven by the two plungers 153 and 154. vThese plungers 153 'and 154 are driven by means of pins 155 and 156 which ride in grooves 157 and 158 in gear wheels 159 and 160 mounted upon a shaft 161 and driven by co-operative gear wheels 162 and 163 mounted .upon a shaft 164. This shaft 164 is driven lfrom the` main drive shaft` 90 by means of co-operating bevel gears 165 and 166 mounted respectively on the main drive shaft 90 and the jack shaft 164.

The molds from the trough 149 are forced out along a trough 167 by means of a plun-A ger 168 also carried andoperated by`the crossbar 152.

It will be apparent, from the above den scription and from the consideration of the drawings that th", plungers 150, 151, and 168 ope-rate coincidently and also operate coin-A cidently wi-tt ,he plungers 125, 126. and 127, and that the plunger 140 operates coincidently with the plunger 117, and that cach plunger or set of plungers operate therefore while the other plunger or set of plungers is at rest.

Referring to the molds as shown in Figure 2 it will be seen that this mold consists of a top plate A and a bottom plate C both of" .ivhich are recessed to receive the center 'molds are projected along the channel 167 shoulders 172 on the side plates A and C to thereby prevent lifting of the entire mold and consequently removal of but one of the wedges. T he upper wedge D is carried away by means of a series of rollers 173 acts ing as a conveyor therefor which carry the wedge entirely above the mold and then drop it u`pon a cross conveyor 174 leading to the main conveyor 55. The wedge E drops by gravity upon a cross conveyor 175 which also leads to the conveyor 55, the mold being prevented from dropping with the Wedge E by the engagement of the notches 172 by the rolls as clearly shown in Figures 10, 11 and 12.

The three plates of the mold arethen forced on until they come in contact with a Wedge shaped member 176 which separates the two side plates so that each falls outwardly as shown in Figure 16, the top plate A, falling upon a cross conveyor 177 which carries' it to the main conveyor 58 and the bottom plate C and the center plate B falling together upon a cross conveyor' 178 which carries them to the main conveyor 59. In

order to insure that the center plate will remain With the bottom plate C the center plate is provided kkwith a shoulder 179 which is engaged by a yielding prong 18() of the separating member 176 and this prong prevents --the center plate B from falling with the top plate A. The center plate B and the bottom plate C -are carried along the conveyor 59 until they come in contact with cam surfaces 181 which engages the deep portion of the shoulder 179 to thereby'raise the center plate B from the bottom plate C and deliver it to a chain conveyor 182 provided with bars 183 adapted to drop back of a center plate and carry it along the: slide 184. The bars 183 are guided to engaging position by rods 183i` supported by bracket 183b from the sprocket shaft. of conveyorl 182. The speciic type of conveyor here used is immaterial and forms no part of applicant-s invention.

As the top section A and thcbottom section. C are carried along the conveyors 58 and 59 they are engaged by a pair of bufiiug wheels 185 carried by a shaft 186 driven by means of a gear 187 which is in turn driven by a gear 188 carried by a motor-driven shaft 189. As the center plate is carried along the slide 184 it is operated upon by a plunger 207 (not shown) which engages the heel and knocks it out of the cavity. This plunger may be driven in any suitable manner but is preferably controlled by the advance of the center mold sections 1n anyone of several ways for example by a contact bearing CFI ` per.

along the center line of this center platcand completing the circuit to operate the plunger when it engages the center plate rim and breaking the circuit to return the plunger when it engages the rubber in the cavity.

The cavities in the center plates are filled by stock forced into them directly from the tuber 67. In Figure 21 a center plate B is shown in position in a holder 190 of a carrier 191 4and when in this position is `backed up" by a part 192 which not only acts to support the carrier 191 but also to prevent the stock from passing through the cavity instead of remaining therein. After the cavity is completely filled with stock 193 as shown in Figure 2l the carrier 191 is actuated by means of a cam 194 co-operating with a pin 195 carried by the carrier 191 and the carrier is thereby moved sideways through the intermediate position shoWn in Figure 22 into the position shown in Figure 23. After reaching this position the plunger 196 advances to remove the filled center plate B from the holder` 190 and simultaneously the stock from the tuber flows into the cavity of a new center plate B which has been placed into the second holder 197 of the carrier 191. In order to prevent'undue pressure during the time when the stock is not flowing into any cavity I find it preferable to provide a by-pass 67 in the tuber 67 and I also find it convenient to arrange so that the stock from this bypass automatically passes back into the hop- I also find it desirable to make the apertureA 198 in the die 199 substantially the shape of the cavity in the center plate B.

Under certain conditions it may be desirable to use molds in which the center plate could not conveniently be placed in front of the tuber such as the molds Which are in common use at the present time, and in such cases two of the center plates of the type above described could be left in the carrier and the plunger 196 modiiied to punch out the stock blank from the' center plate instead of punching out the center plate and blank from the carrier. In operating under such conditions it would only be necessary to have two such center plates for each size heel.

After the cavity has been refilled the mold plates are then manually reassembled by placingthe center plate upon the bottom kplate C and then placing the top plate A upon the center plate and bottom plate. The three plates are thus assembled upon the conveyor 59 and are carried by this conveyor onto a roller 200 which forces them firmly together. The Wedges D and E are then placed on the assembled plates and the entire mold is then placed Within the press 69 which is operated by hydraulic pressure acting upon a piston 201 directly connected to a head 202 and/connected by means of the force multiplying leverages 203 and 204 to The construction and operation of thisillustrative embodiment of my invention will be clearly understood from the above description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings and the many advantages thereof will be obvious. It will be understood, however, that the embodiment herein described is illustrative only and that my invention is not limited thereto.

I claim:

1. The combination of means for advancing a series of molds along parallel paths and means for simultaneously guiding and heating said molds during said advance.

2. The combination of a -vulcanizer having a series of parallel paths and means whereby molds are forced to traverse said paths in series.

3. The combination of means for advancing a mold and means for automatically unlocking said mold upon advance thereof to permit subsequent separation thereof.

4. The combination of means for advancing a mold and means for automatically completely separating the elements of said mold upon advance thereof.

5. The combination of means for advancing the center' plate and one side plate of a mold and means for automatically removing the center plate from the side plate upon advance of said plates.

The combination of Ymeans for separating the center plate of a mold from a side plate thereof and depositing` the center plate cn a conveyor, means for removing the article from the cavity of the center plate, and the conveyor for receiving the center plate and carrying it past the article removing means. f y

'i'. The combination of means for separating the center plates of a mold from the remainder thereof and depositing each part on a conveyor, means for removing the article from the cavity of the center plate, means for filling said cavity, and means for assembling said parts.

8. The combination of means for removing molds from a vulcanizer and depositing them upon a conveyor, means for separating the cavity bearing plate from the remainder of the mold and depositing it upon a oonveyor, and means for removing the article from the cavity as the cavity bearing plate is moved along by the conveyor. 1`

9. The combination of means for removing molds from a vnlcanizer, means for separating the mold. into its parts and depositing each part upon a conveyor, means for removing the article from the cavity, means for filling the cavity, means for assembling the mold, and means for introducing the .molds into the vnlcanizer.

l0. The combination of means for removing an artlcle from a cavity, means for filling the cavity, and means for assembling the cavity bearing plate with the remainder of the mold.

l1. The combination of means for removing an article from acavity, means for filling the cavity, means for assembling the cavity bearing plate with the remainder` of the mold, and means for introducing the mold into a Vulcanizer.

In testimony whereof I have signed my 20 

